1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle pedal assemblies of the type for controlling the brakes, clutch, and throttle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional vehicle pedal assemblies may cause injuries to the lower extremities of a driver of a vehicle during a collision. To avoid or mitigate these injuries, pedal assemblies have been developed which break away during excessive loading to absorb the high forces that are generated by the driver hitting the pedal assembly. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,200 to Baumann issued Nov. 11, 1997. The Baumann patent discloses a brake pressure rod that transmits the brake pedal motion to the master cylinder. Under excessive loading, the rod buckles and permits the brake pedal to be pushed out of the way. However, the rod is destroyed and must be replaced.
The invention provides a pedal assembly having a pedal arm movable in a normal operating range between a rest position and an applied position under a normal operating load. The pedal arm is supported on a vehicle structure, specifically a bracket, for movement in a plane about an axis of rotation. The pedal assembly is characterized by a mechanism for releasing the pedal arm from the support in response to a predetermined force applied to the pedal arm.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a releasing pedal assembly that releases in response to a predetermined force, absorbing and mitigating high injury causing loads, when a driver is thrust into the pedal assembly during a vehicle collision. The invention accomplishes this through non-destructive means so that the pedal assembly will not have to be replaced after a collision has occurred.